Department of Plant-Breeding Ixi 



A course with special reference to breeding horticultural crops might 

 reasonably be added if sufficient funds could be obtained. 



The very large number of graduate students require much more green- 

 house space than we have at present. So much research work must be 

 done in the wintertime that much space under glass is required. 



investigations 



Experiments in breeding timothy 



The timothy-breeding experiments, which have been under way since 

 1903. are continuing to give very interesting results. During the course 

 of the investigations a large number of distinct varieties, possessing a 

 great many divergent characters, have been isolated. Many of these 

 are of value only from a scientific standpoint, but others apparently 

 possess great value for practical cultivation. 



For six years, tests have been made of the comparative yields of dif- 

 ferent types w^hen grown in rows, and for three years similar compara- 

 tive-yield tests have been made with 17 new varieties sown broadcast 

 in plats. The possible value of the results obtained are forcibly sug- 

 gested by the yields of the broadcast plats. In testing these 17 new sorts, 

 they were planted in comparison with check plats sown with the best 

 timothy seed that could be purchased on the market ; there being 7 check 

 plats equally distributed among the 17 plats of the new varieties. 



The average yield for the check plats for three years was 5,211 pounds 

 per acre. The average yield for the 17 new varieties for three years 

 was 6,667 pounds per acre, which shows an average gain of 1,456 pounds 

 per acre in favor of the 17 new sorts. These fiigures include all the new 

 varieties. It is obvious, however, that some of the 17 new strains must 

 be superior to others in the production of high yield. This is actually the 

 case, and certain strains — namely, selection numbers 1,611, 1,627, and 

 1,629 — gave increases of 1,943 pounds, 2,707 pounds, and 2,840 pounds, 

 respectively, over their check plats, thus showing their superiority over 

 some of the other sorts. 



In addition to the above plats several other broadcast plats were sown 

 in the fall of 1911 and again in September, 1912, in different parts of 

 the State. 



Since some of these 17 new strains gave promise of high yield, it was 

 thought best to plan a distribution of seed to different parts of the State. 

 About seventy-five lots of seed of the best sorts were sent out to farmers 

 in various parts of the State during the fall of 1912, and, in addition to 

 these, seed was distributed to a number of farmers in Jefferson county 

 with whom a cooperative contest had been arranged. This contest will 



